Big Cow National Sprint Championships - 27/5/12

This race was another one down in my plan to train through - still, I never want to put in duff performances. As it was I trained as normal through Friday and just had a light spin on the bike on Saturday.

This was my first real race of the year after the up against the elements slog to the death that was Marshman. Was also my first open water dip of the year (I tend not to practice open water so as not to cut further into my tiny weekly swim allowance) and first swim in my lovely new Sailfish G Range Wetsuit.

I was off in the penultimate wave, and managed to actually get myself ready with a minimal amount of rush and fuss, rather than the usual pissing about thinking I've got loads of time, then realising I should already be in the water type affair. I had a little warm up and found myself right in the middle (not my usual position) waiting for the start. The start of the swim was as frantic as expected with a variety of hands and arms trying to pull me back over the first 75 metres. After that it was clear water though, and once I'd recover from the initial oxygen deficit I felt good and swam on my own as the group out front had a bit of a gap on me. I've swum in the G Range Sailfish for 4 years now and am constantly amazed at how good I feel in it. Off the back of an average of 2.5 hours a week in the pool I was out of the water in 5th place in 9.59, and that included a 75 metre run to transition.

T1 was really quite poor. The initial process of wetsuit off/helmet on was fine, but as I took my bike and picked my sunglasses off the bars I dropped them and caught them between my arm and stomach. I was trying to run with the bike and roll them along my arm to my hand, but after about 10 seconds of this I dropped them and had to turn round and get them. Hit the mount line and went for my first jumped mount onto the bike - success. However, I put my left foot onto my shoe before my right, which caused the elastic band on the right to snap before my foot was there and started 15 to 20 seconds of me riding along with shoes getting stuck under pedals/veering about onto the grass etc. Amateur hour.

The bike leg was where I lost all the time today. Once again I'm at a loss at where I'm going wrong on the wheels. My training has all the elements, but on the day I was left 60 seconds down on my peers once again, which equated to 8-10 positions - and could have given an interesting run for the Age Group win.... I pushed, but the splits tell me once again it's just not good enough.

Back into T2 and it was pretty swift. On with the race flats and cap and off for the 2 lap 5.2km run. There were a lot of fast runners out there, so always people to work off and chase. It didn't feel awful, but was reflective of my lack of speedwork - although my pace wasn't bad, it felt like all I had was 3rd gear. Sprints aren't my focus, so the times are always going to be a little way off. I did go over on my ankle on the first lap (again!) but it wasn't enough to slow me done significantly.

Over the line to finish in 1:00:48. 13th overall and 3rd in my Age Group.

I told myself before the race that whatever position I was in, I would be content to go under 1:01:00. It doesn't work like that in reality though. I really shouldn't be dropping a minute on the bike, and if I hadn't, and the little T1 mistakes weren't there it would have been a more pleasing result.

Swim - happy. I've been going through a pretty good phase in the pool and this should equate to a 30-40 second improvement over 1500m from last year with no extra hours, just more focussed training....

Bike - rats. This will be turned around before the racing year is done....

Run - more speed will come. While my short distance speed is very similar to last year I have come endurance-wise which is what I'm after for middle distance.

2 solid weeks then Bala.....

Marshman Tri - 6/5/12

Well that was a toughie. First race out for the year and a little bit later than usual. I'm always a late starter, getting my year's training up and running in January rather than November time - but usually sneak a tri of some description in during April.

 The lead up to the race weather-wise had been truly abysmal - lots of rain and cold weather for a month or so. I try not to complain 24/7 about the cold, but I have very poor circulation and do really suffer. Consequently when the swim was called off 20 minutes before the start I (as did most others) breathed a very big sigh of relief. Regardless of the water temperature, the air temperature was still only 6 degrees and raining so to get on the bike after a swim would have been extremely tough.

So a 1900m/92k/21k race turned into 5.3k run + 92k/21k - a lot of running. I had't set any particular hopes for the race - just to put a stake in at the start of the season and identify current weaknesses. The lack of a swim gave me the chance to add an extra pair of socks - big bonus. The first run went off at a pretty crazy pace - leaving me in the latter half of the top 10, but happy to hold back 30 seconds in a 4 hour race.

Coming into transition I decided to take off my jacket - leaving me with trisuit and long sleeved top, a decision I really shouldn't have made! Out onto the very flat bike course and it was just a case of getting settled in for the 56 miles. I got through into 3rd/4th within the first 30 minutes but after that it was a lonely ride. By 40 minutes in my hands had frozen so much that I could get my bottle out of the cage but couldn't squeeze it, and my jaw was so cold I couldn't suck the drink out! Still had half a litre on the bars though and could get to my Stoats nutrition so it was enough to get me through.

Rolled into T2 at a smidge under 2 1/2 hours - not fantastic but looking at splits for the other guys it wasn't as bad as it felt. As soon as I went to change my shoes my body just seized. I'd long since lost feeling in hands/feet/legs etc, but as I tried to get my run shoes on a muscle completely locked up in my neck - evidently an effect of being in one position on the flat bike course. I managed to pick up my gels with my locked in position arm and ran/walked out of transition.

It took close to a mile to unlock my neck and actually get the gels into my pockets (and a further 2 to get the feeling back in my feet). The run really was just a case of grinding it out. There were no sort of distance markers or reference points of any sort - so it was just a case of running for 90 minutes and hoping I'd been running 7 minute miles! The story of the run: started in 3rd, got overtaken to 4th, overtook someone into 3rd. The end. It was as bad as I'd felt on any run in any race, and once 3rd was safe I actually walked a couple of aid stations just to hoover up coke and jaffa cakes (surprisingly easy to choke on while running I found...)

Over the line in 3rd, but due to a DQ and the winner Joe Skipper being an on the day entry I got the winners prize. A very tough race due to the conditions, and a real kicking at the start of the season - onwards and upwards has to be the way from here....

Up and running

I've now got the first couple of races done and dusted for the year - just a half marathon and a 10k, but my first head to heads of any description since last September. Training has been relatively consistent, but I'm concious that I've only really been training for a little over 8 weeks so whatever results I managed should lead onto some easy improvements over the next 4-6 weeks.

Great Bentley Half Marathon - 18/3/12

This was only actually my second half marathon (despite running 3 in Half Ironman races) and on the basis that my first was done the day after returning from a heavy cycling week in the Pyrenees it was always going to be a PB...

I thought that 1.18 should be possible, but with a few niggling stomach problems on the morning of the race it had the potential to be 'interesting'. As it was I decided to latch onto a couple of guys going for 1.16. It's easy to think at the start that it's a case of getting a decently paced 8 or 9 miles done, then if there's a drop off you've already got 60-90 seconds in the bank. The reality though means that you'll be dying for the last 4-5 miles.

As it was I was uncomfortable from 3-4 miles, held the pace until 8 - then pretty much expired. I got my clothing options wrong and was overheating from the start, my guts were rebelling early on and when I dropped off the pace I really did it in style.

Splits were:
5.43
5.52
5.57
5.51
5.54
5.54
5.54
6.07
6.12
6.13
6.32
6.31
6.46
Finish time of 1:20:09

My heart rate was at absolute max from 3 miles through to 8 and it was just a case of holding it for as long as I could. On the day with the right clothing and settled insides it should have been 1.18, on the right run with more miles in the bank hopefully a 1.16 or so.

Bungay 10k - 6/4/12

This race is one I've done quite a few times over the last 5 years. The course is a little bit lumpy, but as a gauge it's nice to get out and do the same race to see where I'm at. I've still not touched any speedwork for the year and that told straight away, my splits were pretty consistent (17.40/18.07 5k's) - which tells me that the strength and stamina are there, and now it's time to add some speed. Finish time of 35.47. I've been 20 seconds faster around that course, but that was 3 months later in the year (in 2011) - this is the fastest I've been at the end of March/start of April so it'll do for now....

Gear for the year - Red Venom and Stoats

A couple of nice packages arrived on the doormat last week from 2 of my sponsors for the year.

Red Venom are the team I'm racing for in 2012. They've got a great range of Compression Gear here which I was using anyway. It's 1/3 of the price of anyone else and the quality is top notch. Anything I didn't already have I've certainly got now - consider me to be fully compressed.



The second package was from a fantastic new sponsor who I'm VERY happy with! Stoats make oat based products which you can buy at their website here. They'll be supplying me with bars and oats throughout the year - really well made from all natural ingredients. While I use gels for racing, I like to eat 'real food' during training and racing whenever possible - so to have these guys supporting me is very good news.

Rebelling body

I'm still two months away from the proper start of my race season, but it seems to be getting closer at a rather scary rate. I've got myself through a decent block of training, but my body has really been going through the mill to get me there. I've had issues and niggles before, but it's really nothing on the scale of this year.

The biggest issue I've been suffering with is my Psoas Muscle. I've always suffered with back problems on the bike - generally causing me to spend the last 20-25% of any 70.3 race sitting up, and suffering on any training ride of an hour +. It was only after one of my races last year that someone pointed out that it was my psoas muscle. It sits buried deep in the pelvis and as such is a very hard muscle to stretch and strengthen. Unfortunately it's crucial when crouched over on the bike - especially in TT position. So far it has caused me a lot of discomfort on my longer training rides - the only possible solution (as far as I can see anyway) I've got is to do core workouts every single day for 5-6 weeks and see if I can possibly turn the corner for the season. I'm left on my rides wondering how much stronger I'd be if my legs and not my back were the limiting factor, as it's my back that causes me problems, never the legs.

On top of this there's the constant worry of my weak ankles (8 sprains over the course of 2011, a couple of them stopping me running for a month a piece), needing 2-3 rehab/strength band sessions per week. I'm suffering a lot with ITB issues this year (popping over the knee on every leg bend), leading to or as a consequence of some really dodgy hips. Great fun :/

From where I'm sitting at the moment I'm feeling that the pieces are loosely in place, but I could do with another solid 4 week block to really give me some positivity. After a week long overseas work and family trip (timed to coincide with a rest week) I've picked up a cold and throat infection. This currently means that I've gone almost a week and a half on minimal training - never good for the psychie.

Swimming - Was posting PB's and some solid sessions a month ago, 3 swims in 2 weeks isn't doing me any favours though.
Run - Currently up on last year, a couple more consistent weeks and I'll be ready to start on the speed work. Will hopefully sneak a half marathon or two before race season trying to get down to 1.18-19.
Bike - We shall see. This is always the last discipline to come online and I'm planning to stick a couple of big weeks in over the next 6-8.....

Racer's psychology?

Earlier this week I found myself on the treadmill - it's a punishment I put myself through seemingly once every six months as a reminder that running outside is actually quite fun. That and the fact that it was blowing a gale outside and my current run form makes it feel like a constant headwind anyway....

What struck me about this run was the way that for 45 of my intended 60 minutes it was a slog. Going out of the comfort zone takes some adaption and after many months of road running it seemed a little bit alien and a little bit tough on the treadmill. However, when it got to the last 15 minutes and everything was already getting a blurry and increasingly difficult it suddenly became fun to ramp up the speed every 60 seconds, first by 0.1, then by 0.2 and 0.3kph. So what had been tough at minute 45 turned out to just be a jumping off point to a whole lot more speed and discomfort.

This tends to be the way my head works, and I think it's a vital piece of the puzzle to try and get to the top of a tough sport. The ability to actually be able to ignore those sensations telling you you're hurting and you can't go on, and enjoy giving it absolutely everything even when you feel there's nothing more to give. It's easier to push yourself into this place when you're with a group - running on the track etc, but killing it for a solo treadmill session gives a certain sort of satisfaction....

Checking In

31st December, and my first blog post in 6 months - ouch. At least if I post an update today I'll feel like things are on their way before we hit 2012....

My last race of 2011 was way back in September in the New Forest - Bucklers Revenge Triathlon. In effect it was a Half Ironman but was a bit short at a 1.9k swim, 68k bike and an 18.4k offroad run. Again though, I had a solid race despite some really awful weather and came away with a solid win to finish the season on.

Anyway, I won't pretend that it's worth going back too much to the 2011 season, being a few months down the line now. I really can't complain with my results. I came into the year unsure of whether my body could handle the Half Ironman distance, but came out of it with wins across all distances (Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman) - a British Age Group Standard Distance Championship, a Regional Sprint Champs win and plenty of pleasing performances.

.................................

So, 2012. Much of the same really. Year on year I aim improve myself and my performances based purely on refining of my training techniques. I'm self employed and the business tends to take up the bulk of my time. I've lost count of the number of times I've intended to get out for a session, then something goes wrong/a last minute shipment needs packing/a customer calls with a problem etc etc and *poof*, it's gone. I take the running of my business very personally - unfortunately, it's retail based and the last couple of years have been beyond tough. It's not always easy just to switch off and get out the door, especially when money's tight and stepping out the door could mean further loss of income. It's stress really, and very hard to combat.

I had a chance to look back over previous year's training logs.... Through 2011's pre and race season (Feb to September) I averaged 10.5 hours per week training (+ a little bit of gym work etc), roughly as a 5.5h bike, 3h run, 2h swim split. Year on year I've generally managed to add around an hour to this average - but this counts as seriously low mileage. 2012 will be much the same - this is as much time as I can commit, so I need to make sure I use that time to the best of my ability. In this blog I will try to report on this as best I can.

I will be competing in a couple of races this year as a Pro. I'll be racing them anyway, so why not be in with a shout of winning some money if I'm there! I'm doubtful of whether there'll be many Pro's training on much less than 18 hours, let alone a little over 10 - so I don't hold too many fantasies of podium topping Pro results. However, I know how the hours I can commit, and I'll take any scalps I can.

I haven't dared put the Garmin on yet, as I can then kid myself that I'm running a little bit faster and further than I actually am! However, I'm always late in getting pre season training under way due to solid work commitments through November and December so don't need to start fretting yet. I'm currently making sure my week's contain all the elements - solid sessions across all disciplines with the priority being consistency. I will continue to wring out the minimal hour training flannel for all it's worth and see what it can bring me in the coming year.